Improvement in washing-machines



UNITED sTATEs PATENT QEEICE.

M. J. LOURRENTZ, OF LEAVENVORTH, KANSAS.`

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57.740, dated September 4, 1866.

.To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, M. J. LOURRENTZ, of Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworth and State ot Kansas, have invented a new and Improved GlothesWashing Machine; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference bein g had to the accompanying' drawings, forming part of this speci icat-ion, in which- Figure lis a side sectional view of my invention, taken in the line :c m, Fig. 8 5 Fig. 2, a side view of the same, partly in section; Fig. 3, a plan or top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts.

This invention relates to a new and improved machine for washing clothes; and it consists in a novel construction and arrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully shown and described, whereby clothes may be thoroughlyT cleansed without injury, and with but a moderate expenditure ot' power.

A represents a case or box of quadrilateral form, the front side, a, of which is inclined and provided with a trough, B, for holding soap and clothes. This case or box is divided into three compartments, b c d, by vertical partitions cf, the front compartment, b, extending the whole width of the case or box and containing the rubbing mechanism of the machine. This rubbing mechanism consists of a series of rollers, C, placed one above the other in the same axial plane, and having their journals fitted in slides D D, which are connected by spiral springs E to slides F. To each of these slides F there is attached a cord,

..G, and these cords pass around pulleys f at the inner sides of the compartment b, and then pass around a shaft, H, and extend downward and pass around pulleys g g, and are secured to the inner sides ofthe 'compartment b, as shown at h. By turning the shaft H in the direction indicated by the arrow l the slides F will be moved in the direction indicated by arrow 2, and the rollers C adjusted forward toward a corrugated reciprocating rubber, I, and against the clothes between said rollers and the rubber I in the front part of the'compartment b, and when the shaft His turned in the opposite direction the cords G will be slackened, and the springs E will force back the slides F. By this arrangement the clothes may be subjected to a greater or less pressure, as desired.

The reciprocating rubber I is composed of two equalv parts connected by hinges t', and the lower end of the rubber and lower roller, G, are connected by cords j to prevent the clothes from passingr underneath the lower roller and to turn the clothes as the rubber is raised and lowered. (See Fig. l.) The upper end of the rubber I is connected by rods k k, with two arms, Z Z, attached to a rock-shaft, J,

`the bearings ot' which are in the upper parts of the sides of the case or box A. This shaft J has a toothed segment, m, at one end of it, which gears into a corresponding segment, n, at one end of a lever, K, said lever having a counterpoise, o, on its opposite end, and connected by a link, p, with a lever, L, by moving which back and forth the shaftJ is rocked and the rubber I worked up and down, the counterpoise o facilitating' the work. The clothes are subjected to the necessary rubbing and friction between the rubber I and rollers G. The compartment bis supplied with the requisite quantity of suds, and the clothes to be washed are placed between the rollers G and the rubber I by disengaging the rods 7c It', raising the rubber, and drawing its upper part over the trough B, the rollers C being drawn back by turning the shaft H in the proper direction. When the clothes are placed between said parts the rubber I is lowered, its upper end connected with the rods 7c k, the rollers C adjusted to give the necessary pressure to the clothes, and the rock-shaft J then operated.

In the compartment c there is tted a pounder, M, constructed of cross-bars r 1^, attached to the lower end of a tubular rod, N, into the upper end of which a rod, O, passes and is allowed to slide freely, said rod O having a spiral spring, I), around it, the lower end of which bears upon the upper end ofthe rod N, and the Lipper end against a shoulder, s, at the upper end of rod O. The upper end of the rod O is connected to an arm, Q, on the rock-shaft J, so that an up-and-down mot-ion will be given the pounder when the shaft J is operated. The spring l? serves to equalize the motion oi" the pounder and assists greatly the vl operating of it. The upper end of the rod O has several holes, t, made in it, so that the rod O may be adjusted higher or lower, according to the amount of clothes in the compartment c. This pounder M may bc used for operating upon heavy clothes, such as quilts, &c., and it may also be used for rinsing clothes. The compartment d may be used for bluing cloth- 111g.

On the partition e a Wringer, R, is secured for wringing the clothes. This Wringer may be of the ordinary roller kind.

Havn g thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The reciprocating rubber I, operated from a rock-shaft, J, as shown, in combination with the pressure-rollers C, arranged With springs E, connected with adjustable bars or slides F, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The pounder M, connected With the rockshaft J through the medium of the tubular rod N, sliding rod O, and spring l?, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The operating ofthe rock-shaftJ through the medium of the toothed segments m n, counterpoised lever K, and hand-lever L, all arranged substantially as described.

M. J. LOURRENTZ.

Witnesses:

C. H. CRANE, S. B. WILLIAMS.

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